There's no hiding that 2013 was a fantastic year for comb-overs on the big screen.

Top box office films along with award contenders alike featured characters who dare to dramatically pull their remaining hair to cover bald spots -- a retro look associated with the freewheeling 1970s.

But even Middle Earth characters like Stephen Fry's Master of Laketown in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug to the modern day Eduardo in Despicable Me 2 rocked it proud in 2013.

The 1970s-centered American Hustle begins with an elaborate scene featuring Christian Bale's conman Irving Rosenfeld combing his thinning real hair over a toupee to set his hair look in motion.

Bale told Yahoo movies that director David O Russell did not have the comb-over scene in the movie, but wrote it in watching Bale prepare for work on the set each day.

The reason the look is back is simple, according to fashion designer Christian Siriano -- the comb-over has visual impact.

Stephen Fry in a scene from the motion picture "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug."(Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)

"People are trying to create something iconic, it's very hard to create that for a man's character (with hair), much easier for a woman," says Siriano. "And it's very throwback, we all love throwback."

"It's an interesting look, but I don't know if it works for everyone, I will say that," he adds.

Benjamin Bratt, who put life into Eduardo (and his villainous alter-ego El Macho) in Despicable Me 2, believes the look shows that "even world-class super-villains have their insecurities."